LONDON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Kentucky man was arrested on Sept. 2 and charged with attempted murder and burglary after he allegedly broke into a home near London and shot the homeowner, killing his dog and barely missing a four-year-old child in the process, according to the Laurel County Sheriff's Office.
Officials detailed that officers were called to a home on Wagers Road, around seven miles southeast of London, on a reported shooting at around 12:00 a.m. on Sept. 2. Upon arrival, officers found one man who had reportedly been shot in the leg.
After further investigation, police found that 26-year-old Joseph Collett allegedly shot the homeowner's dog on the front porch before breaking in and shooting the man in the leg. In addition, Collett fired several additional rounds inside the home, missing a child who was in the home. Officials added that an additional child was also in a different part of the home, and both children were uninjured.
Collett, according to officials, then allegedly ran from the scene and was found by Knox County Sheriff's deputies on the same day.
A Laurel County detective arrested Collett and he was charged with the following:
- Attempted murder
- first-degree burglary
- possession of a handgun by a convicted felon
- Two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment
- Second-degree cruelty to animals
As noted by officials, Collett allegedly "was familiar with the victim, and the shooting was apparently the result of a domestic issue."
